The stories of those who shaped Telara.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Saturday, October 10, 2015
New!
Laethys
How Ogres Are Like Diamonds
Once, in another world, there was a little kingdom by the sea. It was a poor little kingdom, but happy — the rivers rushing to the sea made the fields fertile, and the bay was thick with fish. Its people, who called themselves Ogres, were strong from hard work and hale from good food. But the Ogres looked with envy upon their neighbors, who did not work quite so hard because their mountains hid glittering riches.
Time passed, and the Ogres wanted more.
They built a port in the bay to make merchants welcome. Soon, their market rang with tongues and coin from every corner of the world. The Ogres lived in pretty houses and their kings in a palace of alabaster. The Ogres became fat from feasting, with thick, rough skin to better grasp at coins. But in other lands the palaces were golden, and the houses were grand.
Time passed, and the Ogres wanted more.
They sent agents to the other kingdoms, to poison markets and ruin crops. They grew bigger and stronger, and marched into other lands to capture slaves for the block. Their capital sprawled across the sludgy rivers, and the fish died in the poisoned bay.
At last, all the wealth of the world was theirs, and all the other kingdoms lived in filth and squalor. But from their palace of gold and white stone, the bloated Ogre kings looked down upon their people, and saw coins slip through their fat, jeweled fingers. Coins and jewels that could and should be kept in the palace.
Time passed, and the Ogres wanted more.
The last of those kings knelt his mammoth frame in a room that was wall-to-wall diamond, all the riches of his picked-clean world hoarded in his palace. Since his grandfather had seized all the wealth from the citizens, the palace stood like a golden, bejeweled mistake amid stinking, starving squalor.
He chanted, reading from a child-skin book, and called out to a great spirit of wealth and excess, to come from beyond the stars and make his kingdom rich and beautiful, and his people hungry and powerful forever.
He prayed and the spirit came, along with her brothers and sisters. They tore that world to shreds between them, as they did all others where they had visited. But before the lifeless rock crumbled, the great golden goddess of wealth plucked the Ogre king's diamond palace and squeezed it in her fist, fusing it into a great gem of every hue that she wore around her neck. The Ogres, grown great and fat and greedy, she took into the Plane of Earth, to set loose upon her victims in a hungry horde.
"But how did you get all the wealth of a whole world to concentrate in a single place?" asked Crucia in envy as the Blood Storm hurtled between the stars.
"Pressure. And time," Laethys said, and smiled, mostly at the envy, and dreamed of unleashing her mighty new Ogres upon the unplucked wealth of a thousand worlds to come.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
[Off Topic] Patch 3.4: Primalist Unleashed!
Free Gift Pack and Week of Rewards
Join us to celebrate launch with a free Wilds Celebration Pack plus new log-in rewards every day from Oct. 10-16! They’re available on the RIFT Store now, but please note these rewards are limited to one character per account.
Wilds Celebration Pack Includes:
To start your journey Into the Wilds… stop reading and click play!
Ready to make history? The Primalist, our first-ever new Calling, is LIVE and resetting the clock in Telara. As the veil drops on Planetouched Wilds, rise as a fearless force of nature and lead a new journey through the planes!
With the launch of RIFT 3.4: Into the Wilds, we’re in the mood to celebrate!
Now through October 30, the first character you log in with will receive an epic Wilds Celebration Pack.
The Wilds Celebration Pack includes:
The Primal Celebration Gift Calendar of Rewards includes:
October 10, 2015: 160% Transcendent Experience Vial
October 11, 2015: Artifact Hunter’s Bundle, with 1 of each of the following:
October 13, 2015: Planetouched Pinata. Drop it on the ground, blow it up, and 10 random lucky players in the area get a Jolt Supply Crate full of loot!
October 14, 2015: Krill Pet
October 15, 2015: Dance Partner (Bahmi Female Celebrant)
October 16, 2015: Dance Partner (Bahmi Male Celebrant
Astute players will notice that Planetouched Wilds is bigger than it used to be. A lot bigger, in fact. According to Ffinch, the zone was ripped out of Mathosia by a “cosmic rhinoceros” and taken on a long journey that exposed the region to the forces of the planes, infusing it with power and enlarging it to five times its original size. To those on the outside, the journey took place in a split-second, but to the Bhami who lived there, the region’s trip lasted thousands of years.
This level 65 zone lives up to its name in all respects. It’s an attractive landscape of rolling planes and blowing grasses that is broken up by a jagged crystalline canyon that runs through the region like an artery. Players will discover that not everything here is quite the same as the rest of Telara; for example, you can jump “crazy high” and witness rocks floating in the air for no apparent reason.
A new three-act narrative takes players through the backstory and current struggle of the zone and its peoples. Ffinch said that the studio invested more into voice acting this time around than it ever has in the past, especially with two key NPCs that will follow players around. One of these characters is Khar, a Conan-esque leader who’s a bit of a jerk but who also has a pet lamb named Mingy.
Even if a player is at max level, there are plenty of rewards to encourage zone exploration. New cosmetic sets, mounts, dimensions, artifacts, and gear upgrades are dangling for daring souls (pun intended) to pluck.
Ffinch said that Primalist has been in development “for a long time,” and represented the desire for the developers to create a class that wasn’t pigeonholed into the current four archetypes. While the Primalist has strong ties to the Bhami, any race can become one.
Most all of the Primalist’s skills are impacted by an ever-present meter on the screen that vacillates between “fury” and “cunning.” Depending on where the meter is at, some skills are more or less powerful or aren’t even available to use.
Before you ask, yes, Trion has plans to add more souls to the calling, although no details or timetable were given for this.
Ffinch rattled off a list of all of the content that players will find when 3.4 goes live this fall. This includes additional crafting recipes, a new five-man expert dungeon called Rhaza’De Canyons, more artifact sets with a new integrated system, and, according to Ffinch, “The most devious puzzle I’ve ever put into the game.”
RIFT’s raiding community isn’t being ignored with this update, either. Mind of Madness, a challenging 20-person raid, will hit the scene. It boasts “spectacular mechanics” and should keep raiders busy for a while to come.
“We’ve done what’s fun for us as developers and for our players,” Ffinch explained as a rationale behind the update.
He did say that there are definitely plans to do more with the popular minion system, although it was too early to talk about what those would be. Past that, Ffinch said that the team was “actively working” on the next steps for RIFT.
“We have plans that go a very long way into the future of RIFT,” he said. “We have big plans taking RIFT forward.”
Moving between Cunning and Fury, Primalists of Telara battle the forces of destruction and channel powerful animal spirits in defense of their lands! Read more to learn about this new Calling coming in RIFT: Into the Wilds!
Starved of their karma by the Tenebrean menace, the Primalist Bahmi of Planetouched Wilds learned to focus their negative energies into furious rage and clever tactics to control the untamed elemental forces they were forced to combat. Clad in leather and wielding either two melee weapons or powerful two-handed armaments, these spirit-bound barbarians should be approached with caution.
As a Primalist, you must learn to balance Cunning and Fury, as both can impart special effects to your attacks or shift your focus from one to the other. To master this Calling, it is essential to find the harmony between these forces. With your close connection to nature, you’ll also be able to call upon a Primal Avatar, a spectral animal that grants you the strength and wisdom to overcome your foes. Many a battle has been won or lost through effective use of these gifts!
Choose between six different Souls, from the resilient, steadfast Titan (Tank) to the tranquil Preserver (Healer). Defend your allies against furious onslaughts, fight valiantly by their side, or mend their wounds to keep them fighting strong. Each Soul is unique, offering dramatically different paths and playstyles. How you approach a battle will depend entirely on which you choose.
Now is the time to prepare, Telarans! The Primalist will be available for purchase with the launch of RIFT: Into the Wilds, or as part of The Wilds Pack.
Join us to celebrate launch with a free Wilds Celebration Pack plus new log-in rewards every day from Oct. 10-16! They’re available on the RIFT Store now, but please note these rewards are limited to one character per account.
Wilds Celebration Pack Includes:
- Seafoam Crabnarok Mount
- Ascended Seal (Scales from Level 1-60)
- Shalistiri Weapon Costume Pack
- Trove of 160% Boosts
- 1 Million PA XP Crystallized Insight
To start your journey Into the Wilds… stop reading and click play!
Ready to make history? The Primalist, our first-ever new Calling, is LIVE and resetting the clock in Telara. As the veil drops on Planetouched Wilds, rise as a fearless force of nature and lead a new journey through the planes!
- RIFT 3.4: Into the Wilds has arrived along with a massive new zone, a new dungeon and Warfront, and Primalist Packs that give you access to both the new Calling and 6 Primalist Souls.
- Has it been a while? Check out our guide to RIFT features you may have missed.
- Catch press coverage at Massively Overpowered, MMORPG.com, RIFTGrate, and more!
With the launch of RIFT 3.4: Into the Wilds, we’re in the mood to celebrate!
Now through October 30, the first character you log in with will receive an epic Wilds Celebration Pack.
The Wilds Celebration Pack includes:
- Seafoam Crabnarok Mount
- Ascended Gift (Ascended Seal): Scales in power (tuned for the Calling of the character who claims it) up to level 60.
- Shalistiri Weapon Costume Pack: Contains the Shalistiri Greatbow, Shalistiri Greatstaff, Shalistiri Greatsword, and Shalistiri Longblade
- Trove of Boosts (with 1 of each 160% Boost)
- Overcompensating Crystallized Insight: Grants 1 million Planar Attunement XP
The Primal Celebration Gift Calendar of Rewards includes:
October 10, 2015: 160% Transcendent Experience Vial
October 11, 2015: Artifact Hunter’s Bundle, with 1 of each of the following:
- Artifact Hunter’s Tracking Vial
- Unstable Artifact Hunter’s Tracking Vial
- Twisted Artifact Hunter’s Tracking Vial
- Burning Artifact Hunter’s Tracking Vial
- Poison Artifact Hunter’s Tracking Vial
- Nightmare Artifact Hunter’s Tracking Vial
October 13, 2015: Planetouched Pinata. Drop it on the ground, blow it up, and 10 random lucky players in the area get a Jolt Supply Crate full of loot!
October 14, 2015: Krill Pet
October 15, 2015: Dance Partner (Bahmi Female Celebrant)
October 16, 2015: Dance Partner (Bahmi Male Celebrant
The wild, wild… east?
RIFT’s world map has always contained a few inaccessible blank spots that the development team left open to fill in at a later date. Two of these patches of land that have been on the map from day one will open their doors come 3.4: the warfront of Bronze Tomb and the eastern region of Planetouched Wilds.Astute players will notice that Planetouched Wilds is bigger than it used to be. A lot bigger, in fact. According to Ffinch, the zone was ripped out of Mathosia by a “cosmic rhinoceros” and taken on a long journey that exposed the region to the forces of the planes, infusing it with power and enlarging it to five times its original size. To those on the outside, the journey took place in a split-second, but to the Bhami who lived there, the region’s trip lasted thousands of years.
This level 65 zone lives up to its name in all respects. It’s an attractive landscape of rolling planes and blowing grasses that is broken up by a jagged crystalline canyon that runs through the region like an artery. Players will discover that not everything here is quite the same as the rest of Telara; for example, you can jump “crazy high” and witness rocks floating in the air for no apparent reason.
A new three-act narrative takes players through the backstory and current struggle of the zone and its peoples. Ffinch said that the studio invested more into voice acting this time around than it ever has in the past, especially with two key NPCs that will follow players around. One of these characters is Khar, a Conan-esque leader who’s a bit of a jerk but who also has a pet lamb named Mingy.
Even if a player is at max level, there are plenty of rewards to encourage zone exploration. New cosmetic sets, mounts, dimensions, artifacts, and gear upgrades are dangling for daring souls (pun intended) to pluck.
The barbaric feel of the land is echoed in the newly discovered Primalist calling. If players choose to purchase the calling, they’ll be treated to a new set of six souls that can be mixed and matched to create any role, only with a different twist.
Ffinch said that Primalist has been in development “for a long time,” and represented the desire for the developers to create a class that wasn’t pigeonholed into the current four archetypes. While the Primalist has strong ties to the Bhami, any race can become one.
Most all of the Primalist’s skills are impacted by an ever-present meter on the screen that vacillates between “fury” and “cunning.” Depending on where the meter is at, some skills are more or less powerful or aren’t even available to use.
Before you ask, yes, Trion has plans to add more souls to the calling, although no details or timetable were given for this.
And that’s not all!
As I mentioned earlier, Into the Wilds is a truly sizable update to the game that isn’t merely confined to one new zone and calling.Ffinch rattled off a list of all of the content that players will find when 3.4 goes live this fall. This includes additional crafting recipes, a new five-man expert dungeon called Rhaza’De Canyons, more artifact sets with a new integrated system, and, according to Ffinch, “The most devious puzzle I’ve ever put into the game.”
RIFT’s raiding community isn’t being ignored with this update, either. Mind of Madness, a challenging 20-person raid, will hit the scene. It boasts “spectacular mechanics” and should keep raiders busy for a while to come.
“We’ve done what’s fun for us as developers and for our players,” Ffinch explained as a rationale behind the update.
Hints of the future
Of course, I couldn’t let Ffinch go without asking for a few hints as to the future of RIFT. We talked a bit about expansions and whether or not RIFT would be returning to them after Storm Legion and Nightmare Tide. He was cagey on the subject but didn’t rule out (or confirm) any plans for future expansion packs. Ffinch did comment that it was interesting how the MMO industry functioned on a pendulum that kept swinging back and forth between being attracted to and ignoring the expansion model.He did say that there are definitely plans to do more with the popular minion system, although it was too early to talk about what those would be. Past that, Ffinch said that the team was “actively working” on the next steps for RIFT.
“We have plans that go a very long way into the future of RIFT,” he said. “We have big plans taking RIFT forward.”
Moving between Cunning and Fury, Primalists of Telara battle the forces of destruction and channel powerful animal spirits in defense of their lands! Read more to learn about this new Calling coming in RIFT: Into the Wilds!
Starved of their karma by the Tenebrean menace, the Primalist Bahmi of Planetouched Wilds learned to focus their negative energies into furious rage and clever tactics to control the untamed elemental forces they were forced to combat. Clad in leather and wielding either two melee weapons or powerful two-handed armaments, these spirit-bound barbarians should be approached with caution.
As a Primalist, you must learn to balance Cunning and Fury, as both can impart special effects to your attacks or shift your focus from one to the other. To master this Calling, it is essential to find the harmony between these forces. With your close connection to nature, you’ll also be able to call upon a Primal Avatar, a spectral animal that grants you the strength and wisdom to overcome your foes. Many a battle has been won or lost through effective use of these gifts!
Choose between six different Souls, from the resilient, steadfast Titan (Tank) to the tranquil Preserver (Healer). Defend your allies against furious onslaughts, fight valiantly by their side, or mend their wounds to keep them fighting strong. Each Soul is unique, offering dramatically different paths and playstyles. How you approach a battle will depend entirely on which you choose.
Now is the time to prepare, Telarans! The Primalist will be available for purchase with the launch of RIFT: Into the Wilds, or as part of The Wilds Pack.
Friday, October 02, 2015
Thursday, October 01, 2015
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